Suffolk has some of the best countryside for walking. Whether your into rugged coastal walks, meandering river paths or country parks and gardens, there’s something for everyone, and being fairly flat, it’s all pretty easy and accessible. Wherever you go you’ll be spoilt for choice but here are just a few of the top spots.
The Brecks, which spans Norfolk and Suffolk and includes Thetford Forest and Kings Forest is a wild landscape of dark forests, open heathlands, sandy soils and iconic belts of pine trees that straddles the Suffolk and Norfolk border.
It’s a fabulous area for many reasons, including lots of wildlife, natural and industrial history, plentiful walking and cycling routes and lots of lovely towns and villages to stop off for refreshments. Walking in the Brecks is an instant holiday in itself. There’s always something different to see, whatever the season, with routes including ancient trackways, such as the Peddars Way and the Norfolk Coast Path National Trail. Find all the walking paths on The Brecks site, here.
Brandon Country Park – with over 30 acres of managed parkland, famous arboretum, ‘haunted’ mausoleum, lawns and pond, historic walled garden and miles of nature trails. Located in the vast Thetford Forest, Brandon Country Park lies in the very heart of The Brecks. You can spend an entire day walking around the park, where you will uncover an arboretum, a ‘haunted’ mausoleum, lawns and a lake and a historic walled garden, together with some refreshment stops. There are miles of nature trails and cycling routes to enjoy. Maps and a list of trails can be found here.
Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley is a designated Area Of Natural Beauty (AONB) which is very proud of its communities, rich agricultural history and wildlife. Its landscapes inspired some of the most renowned artists, from Constable to Gainsborough and still inspires many plain air artists today! Skirting around towns such as Woodbridge, Waldringfield and Sutton, with the beautiful river Deben at its heart, it’s incredibly picturesque.
Find all the walking guides you need on the Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project’s site, here.
Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB – a tranquil and unspoilt landscape that is home to a wide variety of wildlife and birds, and a fantastic place to explore for all the family. There are three long-distance footpaths pass through the area: the Suffolk Coast Path, the Sandlings Walk and the Stour and Orwell Walk.
This beautiful area covers ancient woodland, commercial forestry, the estuaries of the Alde, Blyth, Deben, Orwell and Stour rivers, farmland, salt marsh, heathland, mudflats, reed beds, small towns and villages, shingle beaches and cliffs along 60 miles of coastline.
With coastal towns of Aldeburgh and Southwold, Bawdsey, Dunwich, Orford, Sizewell and Walberswick, there are plenty of paces to explore and stop for refreshments. If you’re into wildlife, then the RSPB Minsmere Reserve is definitely worth seeing.
For WANDERLUST’s top 7 walks in Suffolk, read their post, here.
Rebecca Regis Property Search 